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26 A Journal of Contemporary Shamanism VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1 SPRINGSUMMER 2015 It seems that the origins of Osteopathy created by Dr. An- drew Taylor Still MD DO 1828-1917 in the late nineteenth century indeed lie in traditional American Indian bodywork. I use the term American Indian as used by AIM in the Ameri- can Indian Movement. We know now that among the natives of this land there was a healing tradition that combined a form of osteopathic massage and manipulation with energy and narra- tive work.1 In fact Dr. Still whose family was from southwestern Virginia where the territory was traditionally Shawnee and Cherokee lived among the Shawnee for many years on their res- ervation in Kansas where the tribe was forcibly relocated in the nineteenth century. Stills father was a missionary and a physician to the Shawnee and starting in 1853 Still assisted him for a number of years as part of his medical training. Earlier however in Tazewell County Virginia in the late 18th century where the territory was strongly contested by the native inhabitants the Cherokee and the Shawnee Dr. Stills family of settlers had al- ready had several momentous encounters of a different nature with the Indians. In the struggle over owner- ship of the land a number of Stills ancestors had lost their lives and others were taken captive. His mater- nal grandfather had been captured at age fourteen by Shawnee Indian Chief Black Wolf in an Indian raid on the homestead and taken to live with the Shawnee in Ohio. Then in a subsequent raid Stills great grandfather was killed with three of the children and Stills great grandmother was taken captive with the remain- ing children and later killed also during the journey north. Stills grandfather was eventually rescued after being sold into slavery to a French trader and he returned to Virginia after a few years.2 Nevertheless it would seem that destiny had in mind a continuing connection between Stills family and the Indians for Andrew Taylor Still and his father are reported to have developed an excellent relationship with the descendants of those same Shawnee in Kansas. Still lived with his wife and children on a farm on the Shawnee reservation for a number of years plowing the land with oxen growing corn and is said to have learned the Shawnee language fluently while he helped with doctoring the Shawnee.3-6 Later when Dr. Still became a recognized physician and surgeon although he never said where he had learned his musculoskeletal and organ massage techniques which he called Osteopathy he is known to have alluded to the bone-setting methods of the Shawnee at least once as reported by the director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in a lecture who added that Still often used the phrase Tak- ing an Indian look at something. Forgetting what you know and just to quietly observe with no thoughts. This was followed by a quote from Stills Auto- biography7 All Nature seemed to wait in hushed expectancy. With the iron hand of will I barred the gates of memory shut out the past with all its old ideas. My soul took on a receptive attitude my ear was tuned to Natures rhythmic harmony.8 Indeed Dr. Still lived his life like the Native Indians by a nature- centered belief.9 And when he started his medical practice he advertised himself as a magnetic healer and lightning bonesetter before naming his methods Osteopathic Medicine.10 Today much of the traditional healing of the American Indians has been lost because the Christian missionaries called it Traditional American Indian Bodywork the Origin of Osteopathy Polarity and Craniosacral Therapy by Nita M. Renfrew